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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #176804
Title: REGISTRATION OF 'TEJAS' TEXAS BLUEGRASS

Author
item READ, J - TEXAS AGRIC EXP STN
item REINERT, J - TEXAS AGRIC EXP STN
item EVERS, G - TEXAS AGRIC EXP STN
item OCUMPAUGH, W - TEXAS AGRIC EXP STN
item Sanderson, Matt
item HOPKINS, A - SAMUEL ROBERTS NOBLE FOUN

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Germplasm Release
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/28/2005
Publication Date: 8/26/2005
Citation: Read, J.C., Reinert, J.A., Evers, G.A., Ocumpaugh, W.R., Sanderson, M.A., Hopkins, A.A. 2005. Registration of 'tejas' texas bluegrass. Crop Science. 45:2124.

Interpretive Summary: An interpretive summary is not required.

Technical Abstract: Texas bluegrass (Poa arachnifera Torr.) is a tufted dioecious perennial with long slender rhizomes. Spread in 1 year averages 86 cm with a maximum of 129 cm and a minimum of 24 cm in plots at Dallas. Culms are stiffly erect with an average height at maturity of 69 cm with a range of 45 to 91 cm in nurseries at Dallas growing on Houston Black clay. Ligules are short pointed membrane averaging .8 mm in length. Leaf blades average 5 mm wide and the second leaf below the flag leaf averages 12 cm but will vary from 6.5 to 14 cm. Panicles contracted, narrow mostly 10 to 15 cm long with the lower branches 4-7 cm long. Spikelets have 6 to 10 florets. The female spikelets are densely woolly-pubescent with long kinky hairs attached at the base of the lemmas or on the rachilla joints immediately below the lemmas. The male spikelets are not conspicuously hairy but will have a few kinky hairs. Chromosome number is reported to be 2n=84 but James Read observed only 2n=56 based upon 5 counts. Tejas is recommended for use as forage as winter grazing and for turfgrass uses such as golf course roughs on well drained, deep, fertile soils. It grows well in sandy or clay textured soils in USDA Plant Hardness Zones 6b to 8a. Breeder seed will be maintained by The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at The Texas A&M University Research and Extension Center at Dallas. The Foundation Seed Service of TAES will produce the foundation seed. Tejas can be sold by cultivar name only as a class of certified seed, sod or plants. U.S Plant Variety Protection for Tejas protection will be applied for.